Facebook LIVE Tips

With historic flooding in south Louisiana, some churches will not be able to gather for worship.

Facebook LIVE is a great option to gather as a community and pray, albeit electronically.

Prior to deploying a Facebook LIVE, there are some key things to remember.

The Louisiana Annual Conference Office of Communication Strategy wanted to share some tips.

1. Start publicizing the event as early as you can. The more folks have advanced notice of your event, the better. They will be able to plan ahead and place on their calendar.

2. Use your church’s Facebook page and not your personal page. There is nothing wrong with using your personal page, but using your church’s page will allow you to target an audience and even spend money to boost the post.

3. Make sure you have a good signal. Spotty coverage will result in dropped signals and dropped coverage.

4. Keep your phone at arms length. The phone’s microphone is not great and you will need to be as close as possible. Best advice - use a tripod.

5. Prepare your content. When your LIVE event begins, your audience will be small. Stick with it - they will grow as you stay on the air. That said, don’t wait for the audience to grow before you begin. #awkward. Just start and don’t worry about the number of visitors. (It might be a good idea to have emergency numbers at the ready, in case you need to share them.)

6. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends to join ahead of time. There’s no rule against it! Also, ask them to ask questions. When others see that questions are being asked, they’ll feel free to ask themselves.

7. Make sure you are near a good light source. A lamp is good but the light of a bright window is better. Be careful that the light isn't behind you.

8. Keep the spirit high. People don’t need more drama - worship with a warm spirit.

9. Keep it brief.

10. Have fun. Be comfortable with the awkward nature of it - folks will be grateful for the effort.